Once Upon a Sorcerer
by FidgetGlitterBlossom
Summary: A rewrite of Once Upon a Princess told from Cedric's POV, and occurring in an AU where something is a little different. Don't want to give too much away, as I set the very beginning up so the reader doesn't find out what I'm up to right away.


**Author's Note:** I'm considering making this a series of stories that follows the show. Some would be close to the original episodes like this one is, some would have changes I wish were in the episodes, some would add Cedric to episodes where I'm annoyed Sofia didn't go to him when it clearly should have occurred to her, and some would be completely original to replace episodes where he doesn't appear at all and really wouldn't fit in.

Each season would be a story, with a chapter for every episode. If I never get around to doing it, or no one seems interested in reading it, this will just be a nice stand alone story. Let me know in the reviews if you'd like to see it happen.

* * *

Cedric gazed out sadly through the window of the tower, waiting to see the royal carriage arrive. With nothing else to do to pass the time, his thoughts wandered back to earlier in the morning, when he heard the knock on his door.

 _"Come in." The royal sorcerer answered, barely pausing his work to acknowledge the sound. When he saw the king enter, he stopped what he was doing to hurry to the entrance and give a bow._

 _"Your Majesty, how can I help you?" He asked, gesturing for King Roland to come in._

 _"As I'm sure you know, Queen Miranda and her young daughter are arriving today. I'd like you to be present when we greet them." Roland's tone was deep and commanding, and the sorcerer nodded that he would._

 _"Of course, I'd be happy to. I expect you'll be wanting a display?" He replied, smiling kindly at the younger man._

 _"That would be wonderful, thank you. I want everything to go perfectly when Princess Sofia gets here." With these words, he paused to glance past the sorcerer to the gangly boy stirring a cauldron at the work table. The older man turned to follow his eyes, frowning a bit as he caught on to the King's hidden message._

 _"I mean everything." Roland continued firmly. Able to overhear the king's words, and perfectly capable of following the subtext, the boy faltered in his work, causing the potion to bubble over and explode, shooting up into the sky before raining green goop down on his head._

 _"I understand, Your Majesty." The sorcerer replied quietly, scowling at the mess in his workshop._

 _"Thank you, Goodwyn." The royal sorcerer gave another bow, and the king left the tower._

 _"Cedric..." Goodwyn began, crossing the workshop to fetch some rags from his cabinet._

 _"You don't have to say anything, I already know." Cedric grumbled, snatching the strips of cloth away and cleaning up his mess._

Now here he was, nothing to do but watch as everyone else in the palace greeted the new royals. _Not like I care about some snooty, insufferable new princess, anyways._ He griped to himself, resting his elbows on the windowsill and propping his head up on his hands. The carriage, led by several black horses, was coming into view on the bridge that connected the palace grounds to the village beyond, but he couldn't make out any details of the two figures seated inside.

When they arrived at the front of the palace, he watched as the new queen led her daughter out and they walked up the stairs to meet King Roland's children and staff, along with everyone else who had come to welcome them.

A caw sounded out in the workshop as Cedric's familiar, a young raven, flapped his wings and flew awkwardly to perch on the windowsill next to his master.

"Look at her, Wormy. Princess Sofia... She doesn't look like that big of a deal to me." He muttered, wallowing in the bitterness he felt at being left out. Wormwood simply studied the young sorcerer before turning his attention back to the display below.

"Let's rain on her parade, shall we?" Cedric asked, a wide grin forming on his face as he fumbled to retrieve his wand from his trouser pocket. Pointing it out of the window and aiming above the crowd, he conjured up a huge, ominous cloud.

Just as it started to burst and drench everyone, his father aimed his own wand upwards and cast a spell to turn the storm into thousands of flowers, wowing the crowd beneath as the blooms fluttered to the ground.

Cedric kept his stare fixed on Sofia, who was clearly the most impressed with the display, watching the flowers in awe. After Roland introduced her to her new family, she stopped to say hello to Cedric's father, mother, and older sister.

"I'm bored, let's find something else to do." Cedric frowned at the bird as he spoke. Tucking his wand back into his trousers, he left the tower and headed to the kitchen.

* * *

Cedric was walking through the castle corridors on his way back to the tower, lost in though about how badly his day was going, all because of that dumb new princess, when he suddenly ran into something. The impact took him off guard, and his wand went off, hitting a nearby suit of armor. His cheeks flushed as he realized exactly what, or rather who, he had collided with.

"You should watch where your standing." He growled out. The girl seemed unphased by his words, letting out an excited gasp, then smiling warmly at him.

"I'm Sofia, who are you?" She questioned cheerfully.

"I'm Cedric, Goodwyn's son." He muttered, wishing he'd never left his tower in the first place.

"You're Goodwyn's son? Does that make you a sorcerer, too?" Cedric frowned at the girl in front of him.

"Yes." He stated simply, trying to sidestep the princess and go on his way. Still not noticing that Cedric wanted nothing to do with her, Sofia moved back in front of him.

"It's so great to meet a real, live sorcerer. Your dad's flower trick was ah-mazing!" She gushed. Cedric rolled his eyes.

"If by amazing, you mean a complete waste of his talents, then yes." He answered her sardonically.

"Well, what do you want to use your magic for?" Cedric studied Sofia, wondering if she was playing some sort of game. She seemed earnest enough.

"I want to slay dragons." He answered, pointing his wand at a green tapestry and making it disappear.

"And battle ogres." He continued, repeating the action on a nearby table full of goodies.

"King Roland has my father doing parlor tricks when he should be-" He spotted Baileywick approaching them and quickly transported himself back to the tower, in no mood to deal with the castle steward at the moment.

* * *

Cleaning the workshop up was one of the chores Goodwyn insisted Cedric do before he went to bed every night. Said it would train him for when the workshop was his. Cedric was not a naturally tidy person, and had long given up on getting any recognition from his father for a job well done. Nothing he did well was ever noticed, anyways.

 _If Cordelia cleaned the workshop, you can bet everyone would be going on and on about what a great job she did._ He thought bitterly, scrubbing the cauldron out so it would be ready for his father in the morning. The sound of a girl singing down in the hallway tried to catch his attention, but he pointedly ignored it, scrubbing harder in agitation.

"Cedric, go down and fetch tomorrow's list from Baileywick." His father stated, closing the book on his desk and stretching as he leaned back in his chair. Cedric waited for some comment on how well he did on his other chores, but Goodwyn turned to shoot him an agitated glare instead.

"Stop daydreaming and go get the list." Goodwyn scolded. Wordlessly, Cedric stormed out of the tower, deciding to take the long way so he could ride the elevator. Not like his father would be any happier if he hurried, anyways. He was just stepping off and heading down the corridor when he again collided with Princess Sofia, dropping his wand on the floor in the process.

"Sorry, Mr Ceedric!" She apologized quickly.

"I'm only eleven, not a mister. And it's Cedric." He grumbled, bending down to grab his wand.

"Why can't youuu-" As his eyes lifted towards the princess, something around her neck caught his attention.

"Your amulet." He spat out, his eyes widening as he recognized the magical artifact the girl was wearing.

"Isn't it lovely? The king gave it to me." Sofia gushed.

"Well, goodnight." She added quickly, walking past Cedric before he could think of anything else to say to her. He watched her as she practically bounced down the hallway towards her bedroom.

 _She has the amulet of avalor._ He told himself, rubbing his hands together in excitement. _Well, not for long._

Cedric hurried back to the tower, chore completely forgotten. He rushed into his room and fumbled for the hidden drawer in his desk, retrieving a tome from within and slamming it down on the surface as Wormwood landed on his shoulder.

"I can't believe it was here the entire time, Wormy. Now all I have to do is pry it from the princess, and I'll finally have the power to punish anyone who's ever made fun of me." He explained to his raven, turning to grin at the bird.

* * *

The next day, Cedric rushed home from school and waited behind a pillar for the newest princess to arrive. When he saw her approaching, he popped out in front of her, doing his best to force a smile. He faltered for a second, almost feeling bad about what he intended to do, when he saw the younger girl standing there dripping wet. Steeling himself, he continued with his plan.

"Princess Sofia, how was your first day of school?" He questioned, not caring one bit about the answer. She sighed and her posture slumped slightly.

"Tougher than I thought it would be." She answered sadly. A fleeting sense of pity washed over the sorcerer, and his heart gave a loud thump. He knew all about tough days at school. _That's exactly why I have to get that amulet._ He reminded himself.

"Oh, you poor thing." He replied, clicking his tongue sympathetically as he awkwardly reached his hand out and patted Sofia on her head, trying to imitate the way his mother reacted whenever he told her about how much he disliked school.

"How would you like a private tour of my dad's workshop?" He inquired, gesturing widely in the direction of the tower.

"Not even the king himself has ever seen it." He added in a singsong tone. Her face lifted, and Cedric reminded himself not to be taken in by her soft smile as he placed his hand on the small of her back and led her to his family's part of the castle.

"It's just up the stairs, come on." He instructed Sofia, breaking away to lead her up to the landing. Stopping to grab the key out of it's hiding place, he unlocked the door and let her inside.

"This is where the magic happens, Princess Sofia." He told her as he used his wand to light all the candles, showering the stone room with their warm glow. Sofia stepped inside, looking very impressed. As they began to walk through the room, a loud angry caw sounded out, and Sofia gasped in surprise. Looking up, Cedric spotted his familiar glaring at Sofia.

"Oh, that's just Wormwood, my raven." Cedric reassured her.

"Now you stop it, Wormy. You're scaring the princess." He admonished the bird.

"My dad makes all the royal potions right here." He told Sofia, gesturing around him as he spoke. Sofia spun in the center of the room, clearly excited to see the secret space. Cedric did his best to ignore her as he continued through the workshop, leaving Sofia to hurry along behind him.

Sofia followed him as he walked down the stairs and into his bedroom, carelessly depositing his backpack on his bed.

"Is this your room?" She questioned, taking in the small chambers. Cedric simply nodded that it was as he moved towards his desk, hoping she would notice the book he had purposely left out.

"Wow, this is really neat, Mr Ceedric." She stated.

"I told you, it's just Cedric." He corrected. She didn't respond to his words, though, as the page sitting open caught her attention, eliciting yet another gasp from the girl.

"Hey, this looks just like my amulet." Sofia mused, grinning over her shoulder at him as she pointed to the illustration.

"Hmm, you're right." He said in mock astonishment as he moved closer to the book. _I can't believe she's falling for this._ He thought, thrilled with himself for thinking all this up in just one night.

"Oh, but if you had the amulet of avalor, you'd know. It contains powerful magic." He watched her reaction carefully, then went on.

"With each deed performed, for better or worse, a power is granted... a blessing or curse." He read out loud from the book, sweeping his thin finger across the words as he spoke them.

"Really?" She asked, her voice nearly a breath as she spun around to face him. The wide smile she granted Cedric nearly disarmed him.

"Well, yeah.. um, you know." He gave a nervous chuckle as he attempted to steady himself.

"If it's the real amulet. But only a sorcerer, like me, could tell for sure." One quick peek at Sofia, and he could tell she was falling hard for his act. _It's time for the payoff._ He told himself.

"If you'd like, I could take a quick look at it..." He offered slyly, holding out his hand for the amulet. Sofia held the purple jewel up, letting out a slight sigh as she examined it.

"I don't know." She stated simply, avoiding his gaze.

"I'll give it right back, I promise." He insisted, pushing his hand out more determinedly. He flashed her a wide grin, hoping to get his plan back on track.

"But... I promised never to take it off, and my mother says 'a broken promise can never be glued back together." Sofia countered happily, bobbing her head as she spoke. Cedric knew he'd lost this round.

"How... irritatingly charming." He replied, trying hard to mask his frustration, though his fists were clenching at his sides. He tapped his wand against his wrist where a watch would be, if he had one.

"Well, look at the time." He put his hand against her back again and rushed her out of his room.

"Hope you enjoyed the tour." He spat out as they climbed the steps. He half shoved her across the workshop towards the open door.

"I know how hard it can be adjusting to royal life, so if you ever need any help, my door is always-" He hesitated as Sofia slipped outside and stood in the hallway, waving sweetly at him. Giving into the rising irritation he felt, he slammed the door in her face.

"Ooh, I'll get that amul-" He started to say, but he tripped and fell hard on the floor because his Hexley Hall robe had caught in the door.

* * *

Cedric was distracted from his homework by a rapid knocking at the tower door. No one else was home, so he left his books and answered.

"Oh, Mr Cee-dric." The princess practically sang out at him.

"Hi!" She finished, giving him a happy wave and big smile.

"It's Cedric." He corrected her again, not bothering to mention the mister part this time.

"May I come in?" She questioned, already stepping towards the tower.

"Must you?" He groaned, but opened the door wider anyways. Taking no note of his annoyance at her presence, Sofia passed him and entered the tower. She stood near the door, humming a tune.

"What is it?" He snapped, in a rush to get Sofia to leave.

"Remember how you said if I ever needed any... help..." She started, appearing a bit nervous to Cedric.

"Of course I remember, I was the one who said it." He reminded her dryly.

"Well... I was wondering... is there a spell that can make me a good dancer? It's for the ball tonight." Cedric stared at her in bewilderment for a moment.

"I don't want to look silly in front of everyone." She explained, glancing away from him shyly.

"My dad's not here." He replied quickly, starting to push her out the door again.

"Actually, I was hoping maybe you could help me." She flashed him another warm smile and he stopped to consider her words. _Do I have a spell..._ He thought, a wicked grin slowly forming as he concocted his newest scheme.

"Yes... Everyone will be there... I have just the spell." Cedric answered, laughing slightly. He quickly made his way to his father's desk, the younger girl following closely behind him. Flipping through a book, he scribbled down some magical words that he was well aware would not solve Sofia's problem, then handed the parchment to the princess. She started to read the spell out loud, but he hurried to stop her.

"Not now, you have to wait until the waltz begins. Those words will make you the best dancer in the kingdom." He lied, glad he'd stopped her before she finished reading.

"Thanks, Mr Ceedric, I don't know what I'd do without you." She said, hurrying back out of the tower. He chuckled as he watched her leave.

"That makes two of us." He called out after her. Wormwood cawed out, and Cedric held up his arm for the bird to perch on.

"Oh, come on. You didn't really think I gave her a dancing spell, did you?" Cedric asked his familiar, practically giddy about his trick. The raven eyed him suspiciously.

"When she utters the magic words I gave her, everyone in the ballroom will fall into a deep sleep, even her own mum and dad." He explained, pausing a second before saying the best part.

"And I'll only wake them up if she gives me the amulet." He finished. An illusion of the amulet appeared in the palm of his hand as he spoke, and on the last word, he closed his fist around it as Wormwood let out a sound of approval at his plan.

* * *

The bugels in the ballroom neared a deafening volume as Sofia entered through the archway of the balcony. Baileywick proudly announced the princess, and nearly everyone present let out a gasp as she appeared at the top of the steps. For a brief second, Cedric stared at the girl in awe as she descended the grand staircase, taking in how pretty she looked in her shimmering ballgown. Scowling at himself for the distraction, he returned to anxiously awaiting the moment she would speak the spell out loud.

He watched closely as King Roland took her hand and led her across the floor, and Cedric caught a brief glimpse of the parchment Sofia was keeping hidden behind her back.

 _It's almost sleepy time._ He told himself, clasping his hands in anticipation. The band struck up, and Sofia peeked over her shoulder to confirm that she had the words to the spell memorized correctly. The king extended his hand to his step daughter and asked her to dance.

" **Somnibus, Populi, Celae** " She incanted, just as Cedric had hoped she would. She tried to take her father's hand, but he was fast asleep, and soon the other guests were falling into a deep slumber, too.

"What?" She asked, letting out a gasp as she watched the spell render everyone unconscious. Cedric clapped his hands and let out a little cackle.

"It's working. Soon, everyone in the ballroom will be asleep!" He bragged to himself. The barely visible trail of sparkling gold magic wormed its way towards him, and he realized his mistake much too late.

"Oh, no!" He exclaimed as he tried to dash through the double doors of the room. He made it as far as the doorway before falling to the floor, now as out of it as all the other guests.

When he came to, everyone else in the ballroom was also awake, and Princess Sofia was just beginning to dance with her new father. He stood in the doorway and watched her in anger, his fists clenching at his sides, trying to figure out how the princess had bested him.

"Merlin's Mushrooms!" He growled out before transporting himself back to the tower.

He was shocked to find the workshop was a complete mess. The cabinet where his father kept the book of counter spells sat wide open, and worst of all, his familiar was locked inside of a hanging cage.

"I'll get you back for this, Princess Sofia!" Cedric vowed loudly.


End file.
